Sen. Ben Cardin introduced legislation Thursday that would prohibit federal funds from being used for the kind of military parade President Donald J. Trump has asked the Pentagon to explore.

White House officials confirmed this week that the president is interested in parading military equipment through Washington — a display presidents have often eschewed to avoid comparisons to the nation's Cold War adversaries, which have embraced the tactic for decades.

The idea has drawn criticism from Democrats, including Cardin, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In a string of tweets Wednesday evening, O’Malley — the former Maryland governor and Baltimore mayor — expressed disdain for the planned “large-scale military parade” by retweeting a Washington Post tweet...

“First and foremost, diverting millions of dollars away from training our troops and supporting our military, especially at a time when Congress is struggling to pass annual appropriations, should be enough to kill this idea," Cardin said in a statement.

“Equally important, President Trump should understand that America doesn’t have to display its military might like North Korea or others who need to puff up their importance. The world understands our strength," he said.

The last large-scale military parade took place after the Gulf War in 1991. It cost $12 million.